Cablevision Grows Garden State Wi-Fi

Cable operator Cablevision Systems says it has expanded the coverage area in New Jersey of its new “Optimum WiFi” service, in which it has created Wi-Fi hotspots across its footprint in highly-trafficked areas such as malls, parks, cafes and commuter train platforms that provide broadband access to Cablevision customers on the go. Current Optimum Online customers using laptop computers and portable WiFi-enabled devices like the iPhone, iPod touch and BlackBerry can access Optimum WiFi through a simple sign-on screen.

Cablevision has now added Wi-Fi hotspots at popular sites along the Jersey Shore coastline and in high-traffic and commercial locations in Morris, Ocean and Monmouth Counties. The company has already installed thousands of WiFi access points across its Long Island, Connecticut and Westchester/Dutchess service areas as part of a $300 million total investment in wireless broadband access.

Cablevision also says it has doubled the service’s downstream speed to up to 3 megabits-per-second (Mbps).

“We are pleased to announce this considerable expansion of our Optimum WiFi coverage in New Jersey, including access at popular Shore Points, as our market-wide deployment continues,” said Kevin Curran, Cablevision’s senior vice president of wireless product development, in a statement. “Optimum WiFi is free to Optimum Online customers, faster than expensive cell phone data plans, and being discovered by thousands of new users every week, who are taking their home or office broadband connections ‘on the go,’ to the places where they are most likely to appreciate and enjoy the convenience of reliable wireless Internet access.”